At its 1986 Human and Civil Rights Conference, the MTA honored Nelson Mandela’s “commitment
and persevering efforts in the interest of justice” and his “unwavering example of strength and
integrity.” When word of the declaration of solidarity and support reached Mandela, he was deeply
touched and wrote a letter of appreciation that the association has carefully preserved. To read a
transcription, please visit www.massteacher.org/mandela.

Graphic by Alison Donato

By Scott McLennan

Adeclaration of solidarity and support from the Massachusetts Teachers Association provided a bit of solace and fortitude to
future South African President Nelson Mandela years
ago as he sat in prison facing a life sentence.

At its 1986 Human and Civil Rights Conference,
the MTA honored Mandela’s “commitment and
persevering efforts in the interest of justice”
and his “unwavering example of strength and
integrity.” The words come from a scroll presented
to Mandela’s daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, then a
graduate student at the University of Massachusetts
in Amherst, who attended the event to accept the
award.

Word of the honor reached her father, who was
deeply touched.

At the time, Mandela was in South Africa’sPollsmoor Maximum Security Prison. Nonetheless,he wrote to thank the MTA, saying that itsrecognition “has inspired me beyond words, and thescroll now constitutes one of the family’s pricelesspossessions.”Mandela’s letter is dated April 4, 1986, and ishandwritten. Framed and carefully preserved, it hasgraced a wall at MTA headquarters in Boston in theintervening years.

Mandela, who died on Dec. 5 at age 95, became
the international face of the opposition to South
Africa’s racist system of apartheid. Imprisoned by
the country’s segregationist government, he spent 27
years behind bars before international and internal
pressures forced his release in 1990.

In 1993, Mandela and then-South African
President F. W. de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace
Prize for negotiating an end to apartheid. In 1994,
Mandela was elected president of South Africa.

As the world marked his death, he was
remembered as a towering figure in the struggle for
justice.

“Nelson Mandela was a model of courage,
compassion and reconciliation,” said MTA President
Paul Toner. “He has made a lasting contribution not
only to his country, but to the entire world.

“I am proud that during Mandela’s lifetime,
even while he was wrongly imprisoned, the MTA
recognized his work for justice, human rights and
equality for all,” Toner continued. “As we mourn his
passing, we also celebrate his legacy of greatness and
his service to people everywhere.”
N ancy Finkelstein, who was president of the MTA at the time the association gave Mandela the award, said that educators
were deeply involved in political actions opposing
apartheid and Mandela’s imprisonment.

“We picketed the South African Embassyin Washington,” she recalled. “His struggle wassymbolic of what was happening right here in thiscountry with people of color. We saw inequality righthere. Supporting him went along with the work wewere doing right here fighting against inequality inthis country.”Mandela wrote to the MTA via the office ofUMass Chancellor Joseph Duffey, who assistedMakaziwe Mandela in coming to the United Statesfor graduate school. Duffey, who now lives inWashington, D.C., said that he and the Mandelafamily maintained ties over the years via writtencorrespondence and an eventual visit to South Africa.“This is very much in the spirit of his character,”Duffey said of the letter Mandela wrote to the MTA.“He kept his life together throughout that ordeal.Keep in mind that famous image of Mandela shakinghands with his jailer upon his release from prison. Hewas just a remarkable figure.”Finkelstein said that the MTA would never haveknown about the letter if Duffey had not passed italong.Educators who were present at the ceremonyremember being moved and thrilled when the honorwas presented to Makaziwe Mandela on behalf ofher father.“Many of us did not know the story of his lifeup to that point,” said Louise Gaskins, who was chairof the MTA Human and Civil Rights Council at thetime. “And his daughter brought it to the fore for us.”Gaskins said the moment when the audiencebroke into singing “We Shall Overcome” wasmemorable and emotional.An MTA Today story on the conference, whichwas held in Westborough, paints the followingpicture: “Makaziwe Mandela raised her fist,intoned the Zulu word for ‘power,’ and brought 180educators to their feet to cheer, to sing, and even toweep.”Gaskins called Nelson Mandela’s life story apowerful message.

“To think that that man could stay in prison
for that long and come out without acting out of
bitterness and anger, but had matured to the point
that he realized that in order to accomplish his goals,
he was going to have to work like we witnessed,”
she reflected.

K athleen Skinner, who was then a teacher in Somerville and now serves as the director of the MTA’s Center for Education Policy
and Practice, noted that the time between the
conference and Mandela’s death was roughly the same
amount of time that Mandela had spent behind bars.

“I vividly remember that day,” Skinner said,
looking back to the conference. “The room was
overwhelmingly emotional as this daughter spoke for
her father.

“It was as though this man whom all of us so
admired was in the room with us,” she said. “It’s
very emotional, 27 years later, thinking back to that
event.”

“Many of us did not know
the story of his life up to
that point,” said Louise
Gaskins, who was chair of
the MTA Human and Civil
Rights Council at the time.
“And his daughter brought
it to the fore for us.”